What Is Verbatim Transcription in Qualitative Research?

Transcription is an important part of qualitative research. Transcribing interviews and focus groups help researchers better understand and analyze the data.

Verbatim transcription can be used when researchers need a word-for-word transcript of any audio or video files used in their research.

This article will go over verbatim transcription’s role in qualitative research and various types of verbatim transcription.

Overview of Verbatim Transcription

While you will find several audio recognition and translation software in the market, the same cannot be said about Verbatim translation yet. It is still one of those skills which require human expertise and proficiency.

With verbatim transcription, the transcriber must type every single word from an audio recording. For instance, these can include nonverbal nods like "huh,” "umm,” and hmm and filler words like ‘the kind of,’ ‘you know,’ etc.

How Long Does Verbatim Transcription Take?

Verbatim transcription for qualitative research takes a considerable amount of time because writers are expected not to leave out a single word from the audio.

It elevates the difficulty level and consequently, the period needed to complete the tasks. It can take around eight to ten hours to transcribe a sixty-minute-long video or audio file, but it truly depends on the skill level of the transcriber.

See Also: Qualitative Data Transcription for Academic Research

Verbatim Transcription Types

Different verbatim transcription includes:

• Semi-Verbatim Transcription: In semi-verbatim transcription, whether all verbal nods need to be included or not lies at the discretion of the transcriber or quality analysts. Some clients might not want to add repetitive words too many times. This form of transcription helps maintain the natural flow of dialogues and is typically less time-consuming.
• Non-Verbatim Transcription: This is the fastest and most straightforward way of transcribing materials and is usually the default mode. It contains a clean and edited transcript, excluding repetitive words and non-verbal nods such as 'okay' or 'yeah' if they reply to closed-ended questions.

The Process of Verbatim Transcription

• Hire a Professional Qualitative Research Transcription Service Provider: Make sure you hire a professional service provider with a significant amount of experience in Verbatim transcription. You need to go through the service provider’s testimonials and reviews to understand their customers' experience.
• Ask for Sample: It is important to get an insight into service providers’ work quality and professionalism before choosing them. For this, you can ask for a free sample or transcription trial before signing up for long-term collaboration. Most renowned and well-established transcription businesses would be more than happy to provide a sample.
• Get Quality Analysis Done: It is always recommended to get the quality of delivery checked by at least two people, instead of relying on just one. Most verbatim transcription would include the cost of quality analysis as well. So, you need to go through the terms and conditions carefully as the price may only include transcription-only service. If the service provider sends you a file full of errors, you will spend more time cleaning that up.

As far as quantitative research is concerned, you should select companies that have built a strong reputation in the market for their unmatched and accurate transcription services at affordable prices.

See Also: Why Focus Group Transcripts Are Invaluable for Businesses

GMR Transcription Services, Inc. is renowned for providing one of the best transcription services for qualitative research. Our team can handle small and large projects with multiple recordings, difficult audio and provide accurate transcripts with a quick turnaround time.